To Control a Warlock
by Que3nOfCamelot
Summary: A strange man hypnotises Merlin and manipulates the warlock to do his bidding. What will happen to Merlin and Arthur when someone else is in control of the might Emrys? (possible slash if you look close enough) Merlin!whump
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is a new story I decided to write the other night. So far, I'm not sure how many chapters there are going to be but I will update as often as I can! It is set some time after 5x13 and basically Merlin is Court Sorcerer, Arthur and Gwaine are both still alive and magic is legal in Camelot.**

 **I hope you enjoy it and please leave a review, even if it is just pointing out mistakes.**

 **I don't own Merlin.**

The king's loud footsteps echoed around the empty halls as he strode quickly through the castle. There was not a person in sight, all the Lords and Ladies were outside enjoying the pleasant weather and all the castle staff were busy at work preparing for the feast that was to be held that night. It was a celebration held every year on the first day of spring. To this day, Arthur did not know who decided that spring would always fall on this day; some years it was still tremendously cold when they held the feast. However, this year it was obvious that spring had sprung; leaves and petals were appearing on the trees and flowers, and each sunrise was earlier and sunset later.

Arthur cast his mind on the source of his journey through the castle, the one and only Merlin. The king sighed, thinking of how much had changed regarding his ex-servant in the last eight months or so. After Merlin had managed to heal Arthur with magic after he had been wounded in Camlann, the king had begun the task of repealing the ban on magic. Soon a new law had been made that stated that citizens of Camelot were permitted to use magic sensibly and responsibly, however people may still be taken to court if they use magic inappropriately. Along with the new laws Arthur had made, he had also appointed Merlin as Court Sorcerer. They had had an official ceremony and everything, most people were very pleased with the new laws and Merlin's new position, and anyone who thought differently did not voice their opinion in within a wide radius of the king.

Merlin had been thrilled with all the changes made, however a member of the court could not be seen continuing to carry out a servant's duties, which meant Arthur had seen a lot less of his friend as the raven-haired man was always working in his chambers. The king had taken it upon himself to interact with his friend on a regular basis so their relationship would not be damaged by Merlin's new status. It was now a common sight to see Arthur journeying towards Lord Merlin's chamber, or the other way around, or seeing them talking together in the grounds.

Merlin had been Court Sorcerer for six months now, but Arthur still welled up with pride whenever he saw Merlin making a speech, performing a difficult spell, or even being addressed as "Lord" or "Sir".

Swooping back to reality, Arthur realised he was standing right outside Merlin's door, Staring at the wood.

"Come in," came the response from inside and Arthur entered the chambers.

The room was dimly lit by candles burning in the corners of the large chambers. A bed stood at the far end, the covers wildly thrown on top. Books and papers littered the floor and the dining table along with discarded robes. Merlin himself stood by his work bench, potions bubbled continuously and he stood pouring a mixture of blue and red liquid together. The concoction steamed and hissed menacingly, but it only took one flash of gold in Merlin's eyes and the potion had righted itself to a dark purple colour.

"Did you have a good hunt Sire?" the warlock asked, not looking up from his work.

"Very pleasant, actually. Hunts are much more successful know you aren't there falling over with every other step." Arthur said whilst strolling over to the window and drawing the curtains wide.

Merlin flinched at the sudden light, "Believe me, I'm as glad as you that I don't have to go with you anymore." Although Merlin had been worried some crazy assassin might try and kidnap Arthur the first few times he left the castle without Merlin, the warlock had soon realised that the king was more than capable of looking after himself.

"But you'll still be enjoying the catch at the banquet tonight." Arthur stared intently at Merlin, waiting for a reaction, he was not disappointed.

The raven-haired man sighed, "Yay, another boring feast to attend. Please don't tell me there aren't going to be speeches…?"

"Only from me, and I've kept it short this time." Arthur laughed at his friend.

In the brighter light, the king could see Merlin's pale complexion and the dark rings around his eyes. He was wearing a slightly upgraded version of the outfits he used to wear daily; a red tunic made from a finer material, dark trousers that fit his slender form better, boots made from a sturdy leather and polished regularly. However, the same scruffy blue neckerchief was tied around Merlin's neck.

"There's entertainment," said Arthur, trying to lift the warlock's spirits.

"What sort of entertainment?" replied the raven-haired man, still not looking up from his potion mixing.

"Erm…I'm not sure actually," Arthur had not been the one to organise the event, so had little idea of what was going to happen that evening. "But it doesn't matter, you have to come," Arthur called over his shoulder as he made his way back towards the chamber's door, "you have duties now, Merlin."

The door snapped shoot behind the prince.

* * *

The Great Hall was buzzing with life. Lords, Ladies and Knights were all seated around the room, empty dishes and goblets on the tables in front of them. Everyone was waiting eagerly for the feast to begin.

Arthur looked up at one of the stain glass windows in the wall, a few last rays of sun were shining onto it, although the candles in the room made it hard to see. Each second that went by, the rays grew dimmer and dimmer, until they were completely gone.

Arthur stood up and anticipatory silence fell across the hall.

"Tonight, we celebrate the start of spring," Arthur's voice boomed and echoed round the room, "it is the beginning of new life and fresh starts. We head into this spring with hope in our hearts, we have been at peace for eight months now, with little disturbance. We all wish it may continue until next spring, and the spring after that. But you should also know that we are strong as a kingdom, we can face any threat with courage and skill. All I wish for is for my citizens to feel safe. And now they feel so more than ever." he quickly glanced at Merlin at this point, "We have fantastic farmers who will grow our food in the following seasons, we have brave knights who can defend our kingdom against anything," he looked at the knights (the Round Table especially) "we have new warriors and methods of defence that were not here last spring also. And so, tonight we raise our glasses to all in Camelot and wish everyone luck for the following months. To Camelot."

"To Camelot!" chorused everyone in the hall.

"Now, my friends, enjoy the celebrations." Arthur sat in his seat at the head of all the tables, between Guenivere and Merlin, as servants and kitchen maids paraded into the room, trays full of food and wine.

Darkness spread outside as the feast continued. All the food had been eaten and plenty of wine had been drunk. Everyone was sitting around the room and chatting, Gwaine was cracking jokes with the knights who would burst into laughter every few minutes. Merlin sat beside Arthur, who was deep in conversation with Gwen until a servant tapped on his shoulder and spoke in his ear.

The king smiled and stood, once again the room fell into respectful silence.

"I have just been informed that our entertainment has arrived, I would like to welcome…" he looked back at the servant and said almost doubtfully, "Michael the magician…"

There was a polite applause from the guests as the large doors to the hall were opened to emit a short, bearded man with an even shorter bald man beside him, carrying an old wooden box between them.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," said the taller of the two, coming right into the middle of the room, between the tables, "I am Michael the magician and this is Gavin, my assistant," he gestured towards the bald man who took a low bow, his head almost touching the floor. "Tonight, we shall be performing many fascinating tricks for you, including a very special trick for our grand finale!"

Merlin looked at Arthur and rolled his eyes, the king had to stifle his laughter.

"Our first trick," Michael said to the crowd, "is juggling."

The man showed them his empty, and slightly grubby, hands before making a motion of throwing balls in the air, and as he did so three red balls appeared from nowhere.

There was another smattering of applause as the man continued his act, his assistant occasionally throwing extra balls in for is master to use. Finally, Michael made the balls disappeared into thin air and the crowd cheered.

The king caught Merlin's eye, an exasperated look on his face, remembering the time his manservant had performed a similar trick in front of Queen Annis. Merlin simply shrugged and smiled as he turned his attention back to Michael.

Gradually, the magician worked his way through his act getting the same polite clapping after every trick. He did some conjuring's and transformations, but anyone could tell that they weren't that impressive and didn't require a great deal of magic.

Merlin watched tiredly, not really paying attention to what was going on until he heard the blissful words come from Michael.

"And now, it is time for our final trick," a quiet sigh of relief travelled round the room, "for this I will need three willing participants…" he looked around the room, eyeing everyone with a studying gaze. "You, Sir, are you up to the challenge?" inquired Michael, pointing his finger at Gwaine.

"Of course!" said Gwaine, eagerly.

"Well step right this way, Sir, and sit on one of the chairs at the front." Gwaine sat in one of three chairs layed out by the magician's assistant at the front of the room,

"Who else… how about you, my Lady?" Michael smiled while Lady Bethany blushed, nodded and rose from her seat to join Gwaine at the front.

"And lastly, perhaps, the Court Sorcerer?" Merlin was taken utterly by surprise as Michael whirled around and pointed at him. Arthur clapped him on the back, and pushed Merlin out of his seat. The warlock found one of his funny feelings growing inside of him as he walked to the front; Michael had not made eye contact with him once whilst he had been selecting people, had he planned his participants beforehand?

Deciding he was being ridiculous, Merlin cleared all the suspicious thoughts out of his head as he sat down between Gwaine and Lady Bethany, Michael was only a lowly magician after all.

"Now, this trick requires no magic at all… it is a simple hypnosis. Simple if you know how…" Merlin saw the guests all look round at each other and murmur. "So," said Michael, turning to the three sitting at the front. All the audience's eyes turned with him and Merlin felt suddenly self-conscious. He shuffled into a more comfortable position, fixing the red Camelot cloak he was wearing over his upgraded garments. "Throughout this hypnosis, I will simply be manipulating your actions through your mind. I will not be able to read your mind, nor you mine. You will simply be doing things that I tell you to do. You will always know what you are doing, you just cannot control it. Now, are you ready to begin?"

The three participants nodded.

"Good! Ok so what I'm going to ask you to do is close your eyes," Merlin shut his eyes, even more self-conscious now he could not see what was going on, "very good… now simply let your necks relax and let you chin fall to your chest." As Merlin did this he thought the man must me circling around them as he spoke as his voice seemed to move around the warlock. "Now let all your muscles relax, any tension should disappear… very good. Now from here onward all I need you to do is concentrate on my voice; let it fill your head and ignore any other sounds. Listen to the shape of my words, the texture of my voice and the rhythm I speak in."

The warlock couldn't help but feel a bit unnerved, the man's voice was deep and ominous, and the thought of a stranger's voice being the one thing he had to focus on made him feel uneasy.

"I'm going to count to three," Michael continued, "when I reach three I am going to say the word sleep, and you are going to oblige. Throughout this demonstration whenever you hear me say the word sleep, whether your eyes are open or closed and no matter what you are doing, you will simply fall into a peaceful sleep and I will wake you up when necessary. Ready… now concentrating on my voice… one… two… three, sleep!" And Merlin knew no more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well aren't you lot lucky, an update so soon after the first... I must be in a good mood! thank you for the follows and favourites, it honestly means so much! I would really appreciate some reviews so i know if you like it and how you would like the story to go! Stay safe guys!**

 **I still don't own Merlin, I'm afraid.**

 **To Control a Warlock: Chapter 2.**

Arthur watched fascinated, and slightly concerned, as Lady Bethany fell onto Merlin's lap, who in turn feel onto Gwaine's, who slouched low in his chair. All of their eyes were closed and they slept peacefully and unaware.

The audience clapped, not sharing in the king's worry about a strange magician being able to do this to important members of his court. Michael bowed, a smile upon his face when his participants didn't wake to the sound of clapping and cheering.

"Thank you, thank you! Now," Began Michael as he moved behind the row of sleeping people, "who shall we start with… ah, the valiant knight of Camelot." He walked aound the chairs so he was directly behind Gwaine. "You, Sir, shall awake and when you do you will think you have just been told the funniest joke you've ever heard, think about how funny it was, how hard it is making you laugh. Now... awake!" The magician snapped his fingers and Gwaine slowly sat up in his chair and opened his eyes, a little confused at first, then he started laughing. Chuckles at first but then it escalated into howls that filled the banquet hall. And he couldn't stop. He was holding his stomach and stamping the floor, his face screwed up. The guests laughed at him as well, a brave knight of Camelot reduced to wheezes after a simple click of the fingers. People clapped and applauded as Michael clicked his fingers once again and Gwaine fell silent as he slumped over Merlin's back in a deep sleep.

Michael waited for the audiences laughs to dissipate before continuing. "Ok, I think that is enough for you, Sir Knight, when you awake this time you will no longer be under my control. Awake!"

Gwaine came round to a huge applause and removed Merlin from his lap placing him gently on the chair he had vacated before smiling, bowing and returning to his seat.

"Next up will be the Lady… so, Lady Bethany I believe it is, when you wake up you are going to be convinced that your name is actually Peter. When anyone asks your name, you will tell them you are called Peter, ok… awake!"

Lady Bethany opened her eyes at the sound of Michael's fingers snapping. She removed herself from Merlin's lap and stared around at the audience.

"My Lady, it is good to see you, may I ask what your name is?" said Michael, smiling and extending a hand.

"My name is Peter," Lady Bethany shook his hand.

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure, yes." The Lady's dark eyebrows knitted together in confusion at the odd question.

"I thought your name was Bethany?"

"No," said Lady Bethany, quite offended, "it's Peter, always has been!"

Lady Bethany was a young lady with a fiery temper. She shook her head at the apparent stupidity of the man, her dark hair swaying. The audience laughed at he annoyance, which only served to confuse the woman further.

"My apologies, now sleep!" Michael guided Bethany's sleeping form back over Merlin's before waking her again.

The Lady Bethany made her way to her seat to loud clapping from the other guests, and once again, Michael the magician took a deep bow at the front.

"Lastly, we have Lord Merlin, the famous Court Sorcerer." Arthur stiffened at the man's tone, his hand finding its way instinctively to the hilt of his sword. A shiver of apprehension travelled through the king as Michael gripped tightly onto Merlin's shoulder. "Now, what is going to happen is that when Lord Merlin awakes, he will have forgotten who he is, who I am, who all you are and where he is. This is a little bit trickier to do and as he is a skilled warlock anyway he may resist my commands; however, we can certainly try it."

The whole room was waiting in anticipating silence as Merlin awoke and sat up in his chair. He looked around puzzled.

"Lord Merlin," Michael addressed the man.

"Who?" the warlock looked up at Michael frowning, "who are you?"

Michael seemed to be concentrating hard.

"Mi…Mich…" Merlin said quietly, frowning at the floor. "Where am I?"

The crowd was silent, there seemed to be a lot going through Merlin's mind.

"Could you tell me your name, my Lord" asked Michael, staring intently at the raven-haired man.

"I… I don't…" the warlock paused, the puzzled look appearing back on Merlin's face, "Mer…Merl…" Merlin gave up and shrugged.

"Would you be able to point out to me who in this room is King Arthur?"

"Erm..." Merlin looked around the room, studying each face, everyone watched as his eyes landed on Arthur.

"Sleep!" called the magician and Merlin flopped gracefully onto what was previously Gwaine's chair.

"A round of applause for Lord Merlin, who very nearly broke the hypnosis!" Everyone clapped loudly, even though Merlin was not yet awake to appreciate it. The king glanced at the magician, immediately tensing again as he saw a look of disappointment and sly plotting on his face. In seconds, the look was gone and a smile was plastered in its place.

"Awake!" with a final click of Michael's fingers, Merlin came to and the audience applauded loudly. The warlock smiled slightly at the crowd before heading back to his place at the king's side. Everyone clapped and cheered as Michael along with his assistant bowed and bid them all good night.

"On that note," said Arthur loudly, standing up to address his guests, "it is time we all headed to our chambers for the night. Thank you all for coming."

Chatter filled the air as its occupants began leaving the hall, Merlin took a little longer to register what was going on and began following the crowd of people headed towards the huge wooden doors of the room.

"Arthur," Gwen whispered to her husband, her eyes following Merlin, "maybe you should see Merlin back to his chambers, he seems a little out of sorts,"

Arthur nodded, "Don't wait for me," he said, planting a kiss on his queen's forehead before rushing after his friend.

"What was it like?" asked Arthur as soon as he had caught up with Merlin a little way down the corridor.

"What was what like?" the warlock replied, not looking at the king.

"The hypnosis, you dollophead, what else?!"

"Oh yeah... I don't know, kind of weird I suppose…" the raven-haired man had still not looked at the king and seemed to be deep in thought. It wasn't until they passed by a torch on the wall that Arthur realised how pale his Court Sorcerer was.

"Merlin… are you feeling alright?" The king didn't care that the concern could be heard in his voice.

"Yeah, fine. Why?" Merlin spoke quickly as he snapped his head round to look at Arthur.

"You just look a bit ill,"

"Oh… I think I'm just tired,"

The two carried on along more corridors and up some stairs, when near to the door to Merlin's room, the warlock swayed dangerously and Arthur caught him just as his legs buckled.


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't think anyone (including me) was expecting this chapter to be up so quickly! This one is a bit shorter, but it is packed with action! Thank you for the reviews! I hope this chapter lives p to your expectations. I anticipate that the next chapter will be up tonight or tomorrow, so you don't have to wait long to find out the resolution to the slight cliff-hanger at the end of this one! Stay safe guys!**

 **Funnily enough, I still don't own Merlin.**

 **To Control a Warlock: Chapter 3**

"Guards!" Arthur's voice boomed and echoed down the corridors. Almost immediately two armour clad guards came racing down the corridor. "Go get Gaius and bring him here…Quickly!"

Arthur heard two sets of footsteps rushing to obey his orders. Looking down at the unconscious warlock in his arms his stomach clenched in worry. Merlin had a habit of doing this to the king, who could usually deal with injuries and illness without getting over concerned. However, when it came to Merlin, Arthur found it harder to stay strong and stoic. The awful thought of losing his greatest friend made him very protective of the raven-haired man.

Carefully, Arthur lifted the man in his arms and continued his journey to the warlock's chambers. After laying Merlin down on his bed, the king removed the man's cloak and jacket, throwing them unceremoniously onto the floor. It seemed to be hours before Gaius arrived accompanied by the Guards.

"What happened?" Despite his professional status, Gaius' voice was laced with worry. The old physician hurried to Merlin's bed side with remarkable speed.

Arthur set about lighting candles in the room while he spoke. "He collapsed just down the corridor, I caught him before he hit the floor."

Gaius peeled back Merlin's eye lid, placed a hand on his forehead and checked his pulse in the space of around five seconds.

"He is quite warm and his pulse is a little fast, but nothing else appears to be wrong with him." The physician looked up at Arthur with a confused look.

A thought that had been trying to worm its way into Arthur's head since Merlin fainted now came to the forefront of his mind. _The magician. What if he still has control of Merlin._ A single look at Gaius proved that he had just come to the same conclusion.

Before either of them could even speak, the warlock stirred, opened his eyes and sat up straight. Merlin's eyes were staring straight ahead, the candle light reflecting in them and casting strange shadows on his face.

"Merlin?" spoke the physician softly.

The raven-haired man didn't acknowledge that he had heard, he simple turned to face Arthur, who was on the other side of the bed. His expression was blank and his eyes were empty. Slowly, the man raised his hand, his palm facing towards the king.

"Arthur!" shouted Gaius, but the king had already ducked. Both had been expecting some sort of magical attack from Merlin, but when none came Arthur risked a look over the side of the bed.

Merlin was laying back on the bed, his expression pained and his body shaking. As quickly as he had awoken, the warlock stilled and slumped back into a quiet sleep.

"Guards!" Arthur shouted yet again and the two who had escorted Gaius here appeared at the door.

 _They must have been waiting outside this whole time,_ thought Arthur.

"Wake my knights. Help them find and arrest the visiting magician, bring him to this room!"

"Yes, Sire!" The Guards ran from the room and sped down the corridor beyond.

"What can we do for him in the meantime?" asked Arthur, his voice lowered and his attention back on the sleeping form of his friend.

"I don't know, Sire," the physician looked puzzled, "he seemed to resist whatever commands he was given as he didn't strike with his magic as we expected. Perhaps that's what caused the shaking…"

A few minutes went by in silence, both Arthur and Gaius were waiting for Merlin to do something.

"What if he wakes again but he cannot fight it?" the king was more worried about the warlock causing himself harm rather than anything else.

As if in reply to Arthur's question, Merlin sat up straight in bed again, his face as stoic as before.

"Restrain him!" shouted Gaius, but it was too late.

The warlock pushed himself off the bed, only to have Arthur tackle him to the ground. Merlin let out a cry of shock and pain as the two came to a halt on the floor.

"Wha...what...? Arthur?" Merlin's voice was quiet and confused.

"Merlin?" Arthur got off the man, who had started shaking again. A few moans escaped from the warlock, then he suddenly fell still. "Merlin…?" Arthur tried again, leaning further towards his friend.

In the blink of an eye, Merlin had lunged at Arthur and retrieved something from the king's belt. A dagger.

"No!" the king shouted, grabbing the raven-haired man's wrist.

Suddenly, the wooden doors of Merlin's chambers opened and in came Sirs Gwaine and Percival, who were holding Michael tightly between them, followed by Sir Leon, who was restraining the man's shorter assistant.

On closer inspection Michael had the same look of concentration on his face as when he was hypnotising Merlin in the banquet hall.

"We found him trying to sneak out of the castle," said Gwaine proudly, giving the man a harsh shove.

"Sire?" questioned Leon, confused by the situation they had just walked in on; both Arthur and Merlin sitting on the floor, the king holding tightly to the warlock's arm as it held a dagger aimed at him.

Merlin wasn't struggling against the kings grasp and had returned to staring blankly ahead of him.

"Right where I want you!" murmured Michael.

Before Arthur could take in the words, Merlin began to fight against the king's restraint again. The knights evidently wanted to help, but couldn't do so as it would have meant letting go of their captives.

The air was forced out of Arthur's lungs as Merlin landed a surprisingly strong punch in his stomach. Pain and lack of air caused Arthur to release his grip on Merlin's wrist as he slumped sideways to the floor. The knights shouted and the king realised his mistake. He shut his eyes ready for the agonising pain he knew was about to come.

Seconds went by, and nothing happened.

Apprehensively looking up, Arthur saw the dagger only inches away from his chest. It was shaking violently and so was the man holding it. Looking into his friend's eyes, the king saw them focus and widen.

"No!" the sudden shout came from the captured magician, "Or maybe...?"

Merlin's eyes glazed over again as he raised the dagger and plunged it deep into his own flesh.


	4. Chapter 4

**Was this chapter rushed? Yes. Does it show? Probably. Was I listening to the Merlin soundtrack whilst writing this? As always. Will I still try to write the next chapter right after I have uploaded this one even though I am extremely tired? Definitely.**

 **Once again thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites, they mean so much to me!**

 **Do I own Merlin? No.**

 **To Control a Warlock: Chapter 4**

Time stopped around Arthur.

Everything was silent. Everything was still. Arthur's eyes were on the dagger still held in Merlin's hands, but the blade was buried deep into his abdomen. Looking up into the man's eyes, Arthur saw him blink once. Where there had been no emotion, there was now pure pain.

Then time started again, and it was too loud. There were shouts, cries and hurried words. But the sound that drilled deeply into Arthur's brain was manic laughter. It reverberated inside his skull and drowned everything else out. Before he could register what he was dong, the king stood up tall, drew his sword and lunged for the laughing magician.

The man stopped laughing and tried despirately to pull away from the knight's firm grip.

Arthur stopped.

He lowered his blade, which had been high in the air, ready to strike a killing blow.

 _This is not what Merlin would want_ , he thought.

Raising his sword again the knights shouted for him to stop and Michael screamed.

The king brought the hilt of his sword down hard on the man's head and watched the magician fall limp in his knight's grasp. Every one in the room relaxed.

Immediately he was back at Merlin's side, who was surprisingly still awake and kneeling on the ground. Gaius was already on the warlock's other side.

"We have to remove the dagger first, moving him now could cause more damage." The physician gently pried Merlin's shaking hands away from the dagger. All of their eyes travelled down to the weapon embedded into the warlock's side.

"Well, this is going to be fun," murmured Merlin, the sarcasm still evident in his voice even though it was laced with pain.

Arthur scoffed, "Only you, Merlin."

The warlock tried to smile, but it turned into a grimace.

Arthur turned to his knights, "Gwaine, you can stay and help. You two can take these vermin down to the dungeons. Make sure they stay unconscious so they cannot use magic to escape."

Gwaine crouched down next to Arthur while the others started to move out of the room.

"Say Percy, could you…?" Leon nodded towards the magician's assistant he was holding, mere moments later Percival's fist collided with the short man's head. They both left the room, carrying their unconscious prisoners over their shoulders.

"Now," said Arthur, turning back to Merlin, "let's get this dagger out."

"Arthur, get ready to catch him. Gwaine get something to press onto the wound to stop the blood flow." Both men moved into position, Gwaine grabbing a cloth off the nearby table.

"Merlin, if you feel like passing out then don't fight it." Merlin nodded at his mentor to show he understood.

"Okay…" Gaius grabbed the dagger ready to pull, Merlin winced. "Ready? One… Two… Three!"

The elderly physician expertly extracted the blade from his ward's side. Merlin bit back a scream and began tipping to the side. Arthur caught him and held the warlock still while Gwaine held the cloth tightly to the wound as blood began to flow freely.

"Help him lay back," Gaius instructed. Arthur slowly lowered the man to the ground, trying to ignore the pained gasps coming from his friend. Gaius rummaged in his medical bag and extracted various glass jars and vials.

"I'm…sorry I tried…to kill you…" Merlin choked out in a quiet and agonised voice.

"Don't be, it wasn't you fault. You tried to stop it," said Arthur in a reassuring manner.

Arthur realised that confirmation of his forgiveness was all the young warlock needed to hear for him to finally allow himself to relax and lose consciousness.

Even though the king knew that Merlin passing out was probably a good thing for the raven-haired man, it didn't stop his stomach clenching and his heart racing as he saw the warlock's ocean blue orbs disappear behind his eyelids.

Gaius set to work, taking the already blood soaked cloth from Gwaine, removing it for a few seconds while he pulled his ward's tunic up to his chest, before instantly applying pressure to the wound again.

"Pass me the needle," he instructed. The dark-haired knight passed the physician a metal needle, which was already threaded. Gaius lifted the cloth again, cleaned the wound with some liquid from one of the jars and began sewing the man's flesh together. Both Gwaine and Arthur had to look way from the gruesome sight. The warlock groaned and shifted in his sleep. All three of them studied Merlin's face for signs that the warlock was waking up. When nothing further happened, Gaius continued.

"There," said the physician at last, kneeling back on his haunches to admire his handy work. "Help him sit up while I bind the wound."

Arthur and Gwaine gently lifted their friend into a sitting position, Arthur sliding behind Merlin so his head could rest on the king's shoulder.

When Gaius had finished, they remove Merlin's shirt and boots before carrying him carefully to his bed.

"Is he going to be alright, Gaius?" Arthur's voice wavered despite himself.

"I have done everything I can, now it is up to Merlin's body to heal itself. The blade didn't damage any internal organs as far as I can tell, however my diagnoses are not always perfect. If he gets an infection or loses too much blood, then it is likely he will not make it."

"Can't he use his magic to heal himself?" Arthur was almost pleading.

"Healing magic requires a lot of energy; an amount of energy Merlin does not have. I fear if he attempts to heal himself it might just kill him in the process." Gaius was obviously very worried for his ward, who had become like a son to him, and Arthur did not want to question the old man further.

Several minutes went by where all three of them simply stared at the pale sleeping figure on the bed. Merlin had impacted all their lives so much it was painful to imagine a world without him. Merlin had been Arthur's rock for many years now, the one thing that was consistent. The warlock had supported Arthur through both the worst and best times of his life. To this day Merlin was the bravest, kindest and most courageous man he had ever known, and had changed Arthur for the better. One man had managed to transform a pompous bully into a great king and good man. A sinking feeling gripped Arthur at the thought that his greatest friend might die.

"Gwaine," said Arthur at last, breaking the silence, "could you go and check how the others are getting on with our prisoners. They shall be tried in the morning so do not lay a finger on them unless absolutely necessary." Gwaine sighed and reluctantly left the room.

"You should go too Arthur, it is very late and I'm sure Guinevere is wondering where you are," said Gaius.

Arthur knew he spoke the truth even though he didn't fancy leaving Merlin while his state of health was so unstable.

"You're right, Gaius, but don't hesitate to send for me if anything happens…"

"Of course, Sire." The physician gave a small bow. The king saw the anxiety and fear in the man's eyes, he saw just how old he looked and wished he could take away the pain Gaius was caused by seeing his ward like this.

Before he left, Arthur glanced at Merlin's still form.

 _You must get better, Merlin… for the knights, for Gaius, for Gwen, for Camelot and for me. I'm not losing you now._


	5. Chapter 5

**Whoa! I'm sorry I updated so late, but i have been suffering from the worst case of writer's block ever! I have literally spent all day writing this chapter. From 10am till 9pm I have been trying to make this chapter perfect (which it isn't but oh well!) Please enjoy this, reviews and constructive criticism is much appreciated! Stay safe!**

 **To Control a Warlock:Chapter 5**

The room was in silence.

King Arthur was slouched informally on his throne at the front of the room, his eyes staring directly ahead at the large oak doors. There were dark rings under his eyes from a lack of sleep during the night, he had laid awake long into the early hours and what little sleep he had gotten had been plagued with nightmares.

Queen Guinevere sat on the throne beside his, her hands were shaking slightly in her lap. She had been tormented by worry for her injured friend last night, and this morning's visit to Merlin's quarters had not reassured her.

Gaius had informed the couple that Merlin's condition had worsened during the night and his ward was struggling to fight off an infection.

None of the council members were talking or even moving. Merlin had become a trusted and stable part of their court, being accepted almost immediately into their ranks. It had pained a great number of people when they found out about the incident last night.

Leon, Percival and Gwaine stood in a row in front of the other knights, each wearing the same haggard expression.

Finally, footsteps could be heard approaching the room and everyone turned as four guards walked in, holding tightly onto their two prisoners. Once in front of the king, the two men were thrown to the floor, landing painfully hard on the cold stone floor.

"Do not try to escape with magic. We have sorcerers present who could over power you easily." Arthur addressed the kneeling men. He gestured behind him and two sorcerers appeared in cloaks bearing the Camelot crest. Merlin had handpicked and trained these two over the last few months and they were now good enough to be magical body guards for Arthur when Merlin wasn't present.

Arthur stood up and looked down his nose at the two criminals. "Michael and Gavin, you have been accused of treason and are to be judged by the high council of Camelot. You hypnotised my Court Sorcerer and dear friend to attack and attempt to kill me last night after your performance at the feast. Do you deny this?" The king spoke in a tone so intimidating that some members of the court shivered.

Michael paused. Arthur could tell he was thinking of the possible outcomes if he _did_ deny it, which would mean accusing the king's greatest friend who had been loyal and honest to him for eight years of trying to kill the king, and then stabbing himself.

"No, your majesty." The magician's voice was wavering with fear.

"Do you deny commanding Lord Merlin to stab himself when you realised he was breaking free from your control and refusing to kill me?" Arthur's voice had risen with his temper, practically yelling at the man. The council members flinched, but never once thought ill of the king for getting do irate; this was about Merlin after all.

"No, your majesty." Michael was looking directly down at the floor and shaking as he spoke.

Arthur restrained his anger, breathing deeply. His words came out a lot quieter this time. "Michael, you deliberately hypnotised Lord Merlin without him knowing and tried to force him to act against his will. You did so in front of five witnesses, including me." Arthur stopped and turned to the short, bald man kneeling next to the magician, "Gavin, did you aid this man in his attempt at killing your king and a member of the court?"

There was another paused and Arthur assumed Gavin was also weighing up his options.

"Yes, your majesty."

Arthur was surprised at the man's answer. They had no evidence against Gavin and yet he pleaded guilty. "You admit to helping this man plot against me and carry out the deed?"

"Yes, your majesty."

This was an unexpected development. The king had been sure Michael would admit to his crimes, if not then there had been enough witnesses to ensure he would be found guilty. However, Gavin could have easily claimed he did not know of the plot and only thought he was coming to help with the magician's performance. Or even claim he was being hypnotised by Michael too. In either case the man could have gone free with no charge, but now he was going to face the same sentence as Michael.

Looking around the room, Arthur saw that some council members frowning at each other, obviously having come to the same conclusion as the king.

Geoffrey the librarian and royal advisor stepped forward. "Permission to speak, Sire?"

"Of course," said Arthur stepping back and folding his arms.

"Gavin, why do you plead guilty when you must know we have very little evidence against you?" the old man asked, a few of the council nodded their heads at the question.

"I knowingly helped Michael form a plan to kill the king and helped him carry it out. Why should I lie? We plotted together, we worked together and now we shall face our sentence together."

If the situation hadn't been so serious, people would have laughed at the man's devotion to his master, as it would more than likely result in his death.

"Thank you, Geoffrey," the old man bowed and returned to his position in the council. Arthur addressed the criminals, "Did you act of your own accord or did someone pay you?"

"We acted on our own. It was my idea to try to kill you and I asked Gavin to help me."

"Why did you wish to kill me?" Arthur asked.

"Your father killed my mother," the man spat the words out like they were poisonous, "because she was suspected of consulting with sorcerers."

Arthur felt his heart sink. That is what it always came down to; his father did this and his father did that. Curse his father. One man had caused so much hatred and unrest that it was still troubling them to this day, years after his death.

The king closed his eyes. "I am sorry for what my father did," Arthur's voice was quiet and honest, "but that does not mean you shall not be punished according to your actions. It may have escaped your notice that I am not my father and I do not agree with his persecution of sorcery. I have reversed the laws forbidding magic in my kingdom and I have sought after nothing but peace. What my father did was wrong, but we cannot change the past. My greatest friend has been gravely injured as a result of your bitterness." Arthur took a deep breath to calm himself. "The council shall now decide your fate.

After a very brief discussion with the council and the knights, Arthur stood once again at the front of the hall, hands behind his back and his voice projecting across the room. "Michael and Gavin, you have been found guilty of treason after attempting to kill me, your king, and assaulting our Court Sorcerer. You are sentenced to death and shall be burnt at the stake tomorrow morning. Take them away."

* * *

Golden rays of sun penetrated the dim room through a small parting in the heavy curtains, casting a golden strip of light across the floor. The only sound in the room was the shallow, steady breathing of the injured warlock.

Arthur sat listening to his friend's breaths as distressing thoughts plagued his mind.

Merlin was in a bad way. That much was clear from a simple glance at the young man; his skin was deathly pale, a sheen of perspiration was visible on his body and his lower torso was swathed in bandages. Infection had set in to the warlock's wound and was causing the man a lot of pain and a high fever. Gaius had given him as many potions as possible and cleaned the wound out repeatedly, yet infection had still set in.

The physician was currently asleep in his chambers. He had asked Arthur to take care of Merlin when the monarch had ordered the old man to rest, and Arthur had willingly complied. Every so often the king would remove the cloth on Merlin's forehead, wet it in a bow of clean water, the put it back. Merlin was laying shirtless on top of his bed covers to keep him as cool as possible, but an unhealthy heat still radiated off the man.

Guinevere and the knights had all come to visit Merlin but eventually had to leave to attend to their duties. Arthur was probably supposed to be doing some kingly things this afternoon, but no one would actually expect him to show up while Merlin was like this.

This meant that Arthur had plenty of time to think, and no matter how often he tried to evert his mind, he couldn't stop thinking about the trial this morning.

 _"Your father killed my mother because she was suspected of consulting with sorcerers."_

The words played in Arthur's head over and over again, he winced every time they flashed through his mind. He had probably heard sentences like that hundreds of times in his life. _How many people would that mean my father killed?_ Too many. With what he knew about magic now, he knows that the majority of the where probable kind, peaceful people who never did anyone harm.

Even tough Michael's mother had probably not deserved to die, Arthur would never take back the man's sentence; not after what he has done to Merlin.

Speaking of the warlock, the king glanced over at his friend. "How many more times are you going to end up injured because of me?" Arthur asked the sleeping boy.

"At least a few more, prat." Merlin replied, voice hoarse.

* * *

Arthur thought he had imagined it, but looking down at the man he saw eyelids being pulled back, with great effort, to reveal the ocean blue the king thought he might never see again.

"Merlin!" Arthur stood up from his chair to get a better look at his friend. Merlin smiled slightly and attempted to sit up, but immediately collapsed back down, gasping in pain.

"Idiot," the blonde berated, "here, drink this." Arthur supported Merlin's head as he tipped water from a goblet that had been nearby into his mouth. "How are you feeling?" the king inquired, setting the goblet down.

"Fantastic," the word was dripping with sarcasm, but also pain. Come to think of it Merlin shouldn't even be awake; he was fighting an infection and a nastily high fever. _Oh well_ , Arthur thought, he wouldn't be one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Gaius said to give you this if you wake," the king helped the warlock drink down a darkly coloured potion.

"So… what's happened while I've been asleep?" asked Merlin quietly, sinking deeply into his pillows and shutting his eyes. Arthur knew this was a plea for the king to help take Merlin's mind of the pain he was in.

"Well, the magician's trial was held. He and his assistant were found guilty of treason and are to be burnt at the stake tomorrow." Arthur saw Merlin's eyes flash open and saw pain in them. The warlock hated the death penalty, but usually made an exception when the criminal had attempted to hurt Arthur. "They deserve it Merlin, look what they did to you."

Merlin sighed. "I don't care about what they did to me, but what they almost did to you- what _I_ almost did to you- "

"No, Merlin, we've been over this, it wasn't your fault. Michael bloody hypnotised you for gods-sake," Arthur struggled to keep his voice steady.

Merlin looked directly at Arthur, raising his voice as much as he could he said, "But it was still me, Arthur! I couldn't control myself but I still saw myself about to hurt you!"

"Yeah, _about_ to, you didn't actually do it- you stopped yourself!" Arthur shouted, trying to get the warlock to see reason and stop blaming himself.

Merlin lowered his voice back to just above a whisper and looked away from the king, "You don't understand, Arthur. If it had been you- if he had been controlling you… then you would understand why… why I feel like this."

Arthur imagined it, kneeling over his friend with a dagger in his hands, about to strike, about to take his dearest friend's life… shaking his head he said, "Merlin… if it had been me I probably wouldn't have been able to stop it. I'm not as strong or as powerful as you. I'm glad that it wasn't me he hypnotised because I wouldn't be able to live without you."

There was silence for a few moments before Merlin said, "Well, that would only be if you _did_ kill me." The confused look on Arthur's face prompted him to continue, "I am strong and powerful, like you said, and I highly doubt you would be able to take down the mighty Emrys." Merlin shrugged, smiling mischievously up at the king.

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Merlin?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Of course, _Sire_."

* * *

 **I still have one more chapter planned, so this is not the end of the fic!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, here we are... I'm sorry for the wait for this chapter, i was just really busy. Thank you again for all the reviews, follows and favourites, i read every review and try to reply as soon as i can. If any one has any requests for my next fic then please let me know your idea! Enjoy the chapter and stay safe guys!**

 **I** **still** **don't own Merlin :(**

 **To Control a Warlock: Chapter 6**

Slowly and steadily Merlin's mind began to clear away the fog consuming it. His body felt heavy and cold, but it was better than the burning he had awoken to last time. The warlock could feel soft bedding under his back and a cold breeze on his chest, only a portion of his torso protected by bandages.

Merlin opened his eyes, squinting against the harsh light, and looked around the room. His chambers were as cluttered and messy as always, with the addition of some medical potions, a bowl of clean water and some spare bandages on his bedside table. Gaius was sleeping peacefully on a chair next to his bed, snoring quietly.

Painfully, Merlin sat up in his bed, leaning against the head board, wincing in pain as the movement pulled at his wound. Taking in everything around him and marvelling in how much better he felt compared to his last awakening, Merlin realised what had caused him to leave his slumber. Loud, rhythmic drum beats were coming from the courtyard below Merin's window. The only time the soldiers drummed was at an execution.

Stomach clenching, Merlin pulled the covers off his legs and gingerly tried standing up before making his slow journey over to the window. After guiding his body down to a sitting position on the wide window sill, the warlock looked down through the glass pane.

A large crowd of Camelotian people, both peasants and noblemen, were gathered around a wooden pyre in the middle of the courtyard. Armoured guards formed a ring around the pyre, and circling in front of them were Gilli and Baldwin, the two sorcerers Merlin had trained.

The two criminals were tied back to back on the stake sticking up from the pile of wood, each wearing terrified expressions.

"Michael and Gavin," the drum beats quietened, but never ceased, as everyone looked up at the king's balcony; Arthur was standing regally in front of his wife and guards, his loud voice booming around the courtyard, "you have been trialled and found guilty of treason and attempted murder. Your crimes are punishable by death." The king paused, taking a deep breath, and Merlin thought he saw something flicker in his eyes when he said quietly, "Light the pyre."

Gilli and Baldwin's eyes flashed gold and the wood before them was immediately engulfed by tall flames. The soldiers drumming reached a crescendo and soon shrieks of pain emitted from the flames.

Merlin shoot his eyes and tried to block out the noise. Burning on a pyre had been his worst fear for all his life. When he first came to Camelot, he had had vivid nightmares about it. Every night he had dreamt of the wall of vicious flames, smoke stinging his throat and lungs; waking up and still feeling the burning sensation all over his body.

The men's shrieks echoed around Merlin's head, drilling into his mind. Then, as suddenly as the cries started, they ended. Michael and Gavin were either dead, or soon will be. Merlin opened his eyes just as the drummers were finishing. Other than the hissing and roaring of the fire, there was silence in the court yard for a moment.

"Let it be known," Arthur's voice carried over the sounds of the fire, "that our defences are stronger than ever. We strive to protect your kingdom from those who wish to take it from you. Camelot remains strong!"

"Long live the king!" Sir Leon shouted from the ground, and the crowd echoed him thrice.

Then, to Merlin's surprise, Percival, Gwaine and Leon all yelled, "Long live Lord Merlin!"

Merlin started as once again the crowd echoed them three times, just as loudly as they had done for Arthur. The Camelotian people clapped and cheered as they began to leave the courtyard, the pure still burning in the middle.

Glancing over at the king, Merlin found Arthur staring right back at him, a small smile on his lips.

The warlock jumped and almost fell from the window sill as someone spoke behind him.

"You should be in bed, Merlin." Gaius' tone was accusatory, but held no anger.

"How long have you been standing there?" asked the warlock, turning to meet his mentor's gaze.

"Long enough," he said sadly. Gaius had always known Merlin was terrified of the pyre, anyone with his amount of power living in a kingdom where magic was outlawed would be. "I suppose the king will be here soon, let's get your dressings changed before he arrives shall we."

* * *

Arthur found himself making his way through the castle and towards Merlin's room, the same journey he had taken the day all this mess had begun _. It is surprising how much can change in a few days,_ Arthur thought.

Soon he was in front of the oaken doors, raising his hand to knock. Merlin's voice called for him to enter and it sounded a lot stronger than it had done the previous day. The warlock's fever had broken last night and since then his condition had improved greatly. Arthur cast his mind back to seeing the raven-haired man sitting in his window after the execution.

Entering the room, the king saw Merlin sitting up in his bed, Gaius just finishing tying fresh bandages around his wound. The physician smiled at Arthur, bowed and left. Arthur approached the warlock's bed and sat down heavily in the chair next to it.

"How are you feeling?" It was a stupid question, but Arthur was genuinely interested in the answer.

"…better." Merlin responded.

"Good," the king paused. A few minutes of awkward silence went by as Arthur wondered how to approach the next subject. He decided to just be blunt and come out with it, "Were you ever scared… that you were going to be executed?" Arthur asked, looking deep into his friend's eyes.

The question had come to Arthur when he saw the injured man watching the execution. Burning was the traditional way his father used to kill sorcerers, and he had wondered what it had been like for Merlin to live so many years with that constant threat looming over him. The threat of being unjustly killed for something he was born with.

After a long pause, Merlin replied, "Very… I used to have nightmares about it."

"And they stopped?"

"Quite quickly. But they were horrible, the same dream every night." Arthur could see a great sadness in Merlin's eyes, it was obviously hard for him to admit his fear in front of a man who had once believed to show fear was a weakness. The king cursed his past self for being so stupid.

"My father killed Michael's mother for consulting with sorcerers. Even though I don't regret my decision, does killing Michael make me no better than my father?" There was true worry in his voice. He had been so angry yesterday when Michael said he committed his crimes because Uther had killed his mother, he had insisted he was nothing like his father, but did killing Michael prove him wrong? Was he more like his father than he thought?

"Arthur…" Merlin began, "you have always been a better man than Uther. Consulting with sorcerers is not a crime worthy of death, therefore your father had no reason to kill Michael's mother. You, however, killed Michael for trying to kill you, which is a crime worthy of death."

"You're wrong," said Arthur without hesitation.

"What?" Merlin frowned.

"I killed Michael for trying to kill _you_ …" Arthur looked into the warlock's ocean blue eyes, "You are the greatest friend I could wish for, the bravest man I have ever known."

"And you are a dear friend and a great king," Merlin hesitated, "and a clotpole."

"Well… at least I'm not an idiot!" the king teased.

"You can't insult an injured man!" cried Merlin in mock horror.

"You will be a lot worse injured if don't stop calling your king a clotpole!"

Merlin's chamber doors flew open.

"Did I hear someone threatening an invalid?!" shouted Gwaine as he burst into the room, followed by Leon and Percival.

"Only after he insulted you're king!" cried Arthur in dismay.

"Well you are very sensitive, princess, it's not hard to insult you," replied Gwaine, pulling up a chair next to Merlin's bed.

* * *

The four men stayed by Merlin's bed side all day, cracking jokes and messing around even though laughing caused Merlin a lot of pain. Gwaine disappeared for a short while in the late afternoon and returned with enough ale to last them well into the night. Leon fell asleep first, smacking straight onto the floor, causing the others to double over with laughter and tears to roll down Merlin's face in both humour and pain. Percival was the next to go, slumping back in his char mid-sentence. Then Gwaine began snoring, laying half on Merlin's bed and half on his chair.

Arthur saw the warlock's eyes about to drop, but wanted to say something before he fell asleep. Sobering himself up, he said, "Thank you, Merlin, for protecting me and being the most kind and loyal friend I could ask for."

"Thank you, Arthur, for protecting me and helping me find my place in the world."

Arthur put his hand in Merlin's, "Get some sleep, my friend." And at last, the mighty Emrys slept.


End file.
